The Turkish Coast Guard and gendarmerie forces rounded up over 1,500 migrants in the coastal provinces of Mugla, Canakkale, Izmir, Balikesir, Mersin, and Aydin while the migrants were trying to cross to Europe through Greece.

In the northwestern provinces of Kirklareli and Tekirdag, the Turkish gendarmerie forces held 303 migrants, said the report. In 2018, some 2,68,000 irregular migrants were held in Turkey and this number reached nearly 3,37,000 in 2019, according to the Turkish Interior Ministry.